Hey You!See that man.The one in the cornernursing his drink and minding his own business.You smirk.You think that he’s an easy mark.Not so fast.He’s a Louis L’Amour hero.
Louis L’Amour writes about a special breed ofman.You won’t find his heroes among the popular crowd, with an arm about the most beautiful girl in the room and wowing the crowd with his witticisms.His heros are quiet, clever -and deadly.
Plot
James T. Kettleman is the quintessential Lois L’amour hero.Hewas a financier and speculator in New York and not the sort one would associatewith action .Which was why the killer was surprised when he found himself at the business end of Kettleman’s gun.The killer had no idea that Kettleman hadbeen brought up in the West under the care of one of the most infamous outlawsof that time-Flint.Kettleman learned who had paid to have him killed-his wife.
She had married him on her father’s advice, to get inside information on his business activities.Failing that she decided to be a rich widow.There was no time to contest for divorce.For, his doctor had warned him that he had a deadly affliction and would not live for more than a year.He had a sudden yearning to return to his roots.He took the name Flint in memory of his dead outlaw benefactor and returned West to spend his final days in the original Flint’s hideout.What he found was trouble.
For a lonely man who never got involved inother’s troubles, James T. Kettleman aka Jim Flint found himself embroiled in the mother of all land wars.And on the sideof Nancy Kerrigan too.Nancy Kerrigan inherited the ranch from her father.Her family had bought the land from Indians, defended it from attackers-both Indianand white.If her enemies thought they could crowd her off her land, they were surely dreaming.She was glad that the mysterious Jim Flint was part of her crew. It was at this point that his wife turns up.In cohorts with an old enemy.This time to make sure that the job is done properly-that Flint stays dead.
What I think
This isan action/adventure set in the American West.The only law is the law of theGun.The railroad is coming.And with that the tussle for land starts.And we have a really nice cast here.Tough, loyal and self sufficient.Not all authors canmake an antisocial, lonely, embittered man into a sympathetic hero.L’Amour managesthat successfully.The author returns to his favorate plot device which proved succesful in Reilly’s Luck too.An orphaned child is taken in by the gambler/outlaw who later avenges the death of his benefactor.This is a really entertaining read if you like action.There’s plenty of it here.Gun fights, fist fights-you name it.The romance between the main characters is handled in a practical fashion.I’ll give it 7/10.